Best vegetarian restaurants in Montreal

Posted on September 29th, 2009 by .

The Dalai-Lama will be in Montreal on October 3, and according to his official website, his Holiness’s kitchen in Dharamsala is vegetarian. So in the spirit of extending a warm welcome to all visitors to our city, I thought I’d offer up my top picks for the best vegetarian restaurants in Montreal.

This is Montreal’s newest vegetarian restaurant, just down the block from a great deal on amazing bagels. And even though they just opened their doors last July, they’ve already got a loyal clientele (I went on a Monday at noon and found it packed)! The food is super-fresh. The menu consists of salads, soup and sandwiches (Tofu, tempeh and veggie burgers). They also serve homemade fruit and vegetable juices.

Insider tip: The falafel sandwich is to die for. The last time I ate anything that compared was back in 2004 – in Jerusalem!

Right in heart of the Plateau neighbourhood, this vintage grocery-café-boutique offers everything from beauty products to pastries – plus there’s a restaurant. What’s the link between the three? Everything is made from edible flowers. You can lunch on chickpea couscous salad with orange blossoms, pear and violet sparklers and lavender pecan bars. Very cute, with seating for 12 customers only.

Insider tip: Even if you’re not hungry enough for a full meal, it’s worth stopping in for some of their lovely infusions, such as the fragrant tisane or the rosebud tea, to be enjoyed with their scented desserts.

This chain of self-serve vegetarian buffets offers a casual atmosphere and unique pay-by-weight (of your plate) system. Great for people who prefer to sample lots of different things instead of one big serving. This is also a great option if you’re in a hurry.

This restaurant features vegetarian cuisine with international flavours. In addtion to salads, soups and burgers, they serve Indian, Asian and Mexican dishes. Located right in the thich of St-Denis Street, they have a nice patio and a special menu for kids. The coleslaw alone is worth stopping in for.

Insider tip: Try the Inca burger. Made with organic quinoa, cashews, beets, sunflower seeds and organic tahini and served on organic sourdough bread. It’s huge – I bet you can’t finish it. Plus it comes with their amazing coleslaw.

Just a 15-minute jaunt from downtown Montreal is the quaint and cozy Bonny’s. This natural Canadiana-style restaurant offers a wide variety of salads, burgers and world cuisine. Their best seller is the Boca-burger, which is a black-bean patty on a kamut bun topped with a nicely spiced warm tomato salsa. They also offer ready-made take-out meals.

Insider tip: Anyone with special dietary needs or concerns will be happy to know that Bonny’s menu is complete with handy symbols indicating which means are vegan, vegan-optional or gluten-free.

Vegemontreal, a French website, offers a complete list of Montreal’s vegetarian restaurants.

It seems that His Holiness the Dalai-Lama said in Vancouver that technology might be getting in the way of peace. Well, in this case, I hope the opposite is true and he and his fans find this information useful for their stay in Montreal.

Coming to Montreal this weekend? Eager to partake in Canadian Thanksgiving? Here are my restaurant suggestions for the finest of Montreal turkey, potatoes and cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving in Montreal – celebrated the second weekend...

Winter is the traditional season for oysters, though Maestro owner and Maitresse d’hotel Ilene Polansky reminds us that the thing about only eating bivalves in months ending in “r” went out when refrigerated transport...